CANBERRA—Aboriginal leader Patrick Dodson has urged the Government to follow today's apology with compensation for the stolen generation.
Mr Dodson, the former chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, said anyone treated badly under the law deserved to pursue recompense.
He said the debate leading up to today's apology to indigenous people had not been edifying.
"There is an exaggerated anxiety that there will be an avalanche of demands for monetary compensation," he said in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra.
"Even if the courts said there was a case for compensation would the scale cripple our economic future?
"Any group of people who have been treated badly under laws made legitimately by the crown deserve to pursue compensation judicially, legally or politically and they deserve our support."
Mr Dodson said the whole issue of making good on the past, including compensation for the stolen generation, wasn't easily pursued.
"Is our fear of having our past Governments and its servants condemned for their failure to act, to protect indigenous people so great that we simply cannot countenance the notion of reviling their actions and establishing a process for recompense, restitution or reconciliation?" he asked.
"But let us do it in a considered and negotiated manner as part of a careful constructed process aimed at building an Australian nation that recognises and respects Aboriginal history, culture, language and society."
Mr Dodson said Australia had changed from the moment Mr Rudd made the apology this morning.
"(From) this moment, Australia can be imagined as a different place - a place where Aboriginal citizens no longer live in third world living conditions," he said.
He said there were many "blemishes" on indigenous Australia but they could be fixed.
"These blemishes, however, are not tatoos or birthmarks. They are removable stains on the fabric of our society and we must begin the task immediately."
He listed a number of areas which needed to be looked at closely including housing needs, appalling health figures and life expectancies, drug dependency and the number of young indigenous men in prison.
It was extremely important indigenous languages and cultural practices were sustained.
"The continued desire for control on management of Aboriginal people seems to have led us to this sorry state," he said.
Mr Dodson said it was more important to get participation from the entire Australian community than any involvement from the public sector.
An error occurred on the server when processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator.